{"id":48810,"date":"2025-07-21T20:46:10","date_gmt":"2025-07-21T15:16:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=48810"},"modified":"2025-07-21T20:46:25","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T15:16:25","slug":"kashi-declaration-drug-free-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/21-07-2025\/kashi-declaration-drug-free-india","title":{"rendered":"Kashi Declaration for Drug-Free India"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Internal Security<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u00a0The <strong>Kashi Declaration, <\/strong>outlining a <strong>five-year<\/strong> <strong>roadmap<\/strong> for a drug-free India<strong> <\/strong>was signed during the <strong>Youth Spiritual Summit <\/strong>in Varanasi.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Kashi Declaration<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Kashi Declaration <strong>affirms a national consensus<\/strong> to treat substance abuse as a <strong>multi-faceted public health and societal challenge<\/strong>, and calls for a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It emphasises the<strong> integration of spiritual, cultural, educational, and technological efforts<\/strong> to prevent addiction, support recovery, and foster a national culture of sobriety.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It proposes institutional mechanisms for <strong>multi-ministerial coordination<\/strong>, including the formation of a<strong> Joint National Committee,<\/strong> <strong>annual progress reporting, and a national platform<\/strong> for linking affected individuals to support services.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Menace of Drug Abuse in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>According to a<strong> 2019<\/strong> report by <strong>AIIMS<\/strong> and the <strong>Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment;<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Over <strong>16 crore<\/strong> Indians consume alcohol, with <strong>5.7 crore<\/strong> requiring medical help.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>More than <strong>2.3 crore people <\/strong>use <strong>cannabis and opioids<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>About <strong>1.08%<\/strong> of 10-75 year old Indians (approximately 1.18 crore people) use sedatives (non-medical, non-prescription use).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Inhalants are a concern, particularly among children and adolescents, with a higher prevalence of use<strong> (1.17%)<\/strong> compared to adults <strong>(0.58%).<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Reasons for drug menace in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Geographical location:<\/strong> India lies close to the<strong> Golden Crescent and Golden Triangle<\/strong>, major global drug-producing regions.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Easy cross-border smuggling in states like Punjab, Manipur, and Assam enables drug inflow.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Youth vulnerability:<\/strong> Peer pressure, stress, unemployment, and curiosity make youth susceptible to drug use.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Weak enforcement:<\/strong> Inadequate surveillance, corruption, and overburdened agencies hinder effective control.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Easy availability:<\/strong> Online platforms, local peddlers, and pharmacies make drugs more accessible.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Social disintegration: <\/strong>Broken families, isolation, and lack of community support increase addiction risks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Impact of Drug Abuse<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Economic Impact:<\/strong> Drug abuse lowers productivity, increases healthcare costs, and weakens human capital.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Health Impact: <\/strong>It causes mental disorders, spreads HIV\/AIDS and hepatitis, and leads to physical deterioration.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Social Impact: <\/strong>It disrupts families, fuels domestic violence, and results in social isolation and stigma.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>National Security Impact:<\/strong> Drug trade fosters narco-terrorism, organised crime, and youth involvement weakens national integrity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Steps Taken<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Indian Initiatives:\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act):<\/strong> It prohibits the production, possession, sale, and consumption of illicit drugs and prescribes penalties for violations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan:<\/strong> Launched in 2020, this campaign aims to create awareness about the ill effects of drug abuse and promote a drug-free India.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF):<\/strong> Many states have established ANTFs to strengthen drug law enforcement at the state level.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>DarkNet Monitoring Cell <\/strong>under <strong>Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) <\/strong>tracks online drug sales.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Global Initiatives:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC):<\/strong> The UNODC is at the forefront of the global fight against illicit drugs. The UNODC-led campaign aims to raise awareness about the dangers of drug abuse.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>International Narcotics Control Board (INCB): <\/strong>The INCB monitors the global drug situation and assesses countries&#8217; compliance with international drug control treaties.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Concluding remarks<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The growing drug menace in India poses a grave threat to public health, societal well-being, and national security.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>However, sustained success will require coordinated efforts across government, civil society, and communities, with a strong emphasis on prevention, rehabilitation, and youth empowerment to build a truly Nasha Mukt Bharat.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pib.gov.in\/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=2146223\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>PIB<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<h3><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">\u00a0The Kashi Declaration, outlining a five-year roadmap for a drug-free India was signed during the Youth Spiritual Summit in Varanasi.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Kashi Declaration<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">The Kashi Declaration affirms a national consensus to treat substance abuse as a multi-faceted public health and societal challenge, and calls for a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">It emphasises the integration of spiritual, cultural, educational, and technological efforts to prevent addiction, support recovery, and foster a national culture of sobriety.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">It proposes institutional mechanisms for multi-ministerial coordination, including the formation of a Joint National Committee, annual progress reporting, and a national platform for linking affected individuals to support services.<\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/21-07-2025\/kashi-declaration-drug-free-india\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read\u00a0More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-48810","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48810","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48810"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48810\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48823,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48810\/revisions\/48823"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48810"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48810"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48810"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}